


Of claws and counterattacks

by kpdiddy



Series: a GATEway to the void [3]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Gave mantis lords names to make things easier, Gen, I'm not very good at writing fluff ok, OC is just a random made up mantis to take PoV from, Same AU as other stories but before actual crossover content, Some other characters mentioned/involved but not worth tagging, bit of canon-typical violence described, bit of minor headcanon relating to the mantis claw, they have hands but have the claw weapons attached to forearms most of the time, they're mantises of course there's gonna be fighting, this is fluff by mantis standards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 07:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18006083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kpdiddy/pseuds/kpdiddy
Summary: Just some slice of life styled writing featuring the Mantis lords and a few others to practice less dramatic writing. Follows a mantis named Revli as she trains to become a better fighter with the guidance of one the Mantis lords.





	Of claws and counterattacks

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully there's enough context clues as to which Mantis is which, but just in case, the names I've given the Mantis lords for this fic (by ascending age) are Vata, Kestra, and Saav. As mentioned in the series description, this takes place in an AU where a crossover eventually happens (go check out the original fic linked in the series description for some additional context and an overall good read!) but this takes place before then, thus, only HK stuff happens.
> 
> It's taking every single ounce of self-control I have not to name this "a _slice_ of life" because lol mantis puns lol, but that's just too on the nose.

_**CLANK, CLANG, CLONG**_  
  
  
Claw struck against lance again and again as Revli only barely managed to deflect away Lord Vata’s relentless barrage of thrusts and swipes. Biding her time for just a bit longer, she found an opportunity when her lord spent just a little bit more time than usual on the back swing. Seizing the opening, Revli angled her claw outward this time and pushed, parrying the larger mantis’ thrust away and leaving her open! This was Revli’s chance! She spun into the follow up, continuing the momentum of the parry into a backhanded slash aimed right across Lord Vata’s torso.  
  
  
And sliced through thin air.  
  
  
“Huh?” Obviously confused by her trainer’s sudden disappearance and somewhat off balance from whiffing the slash, Revli only half registered the nearly gleeful “Slow” to her side as Lord Vata swept Revli’s legs out from under her. Thankfully Revli knew what to do in this situation, as Lord Vata almost always tried at least one sweep per session. Tucking into a roll mid fall, Revli was able to spin just enough to land on her claws, and pushing up, sprung backwards to recover.  
  
  
What she later kicked herself for was not accounting for her Lord’s obviously impressive speed, as Revli finished her back handspring recovery only to find Lord Vata’s nail lance already positioned inches from her face.  
  
  
“Not a bad parry I must say, though you really must stop celebrating every little victory mid-fight like that, it makes you rather predictable, even if you are able to recover from a sweep like that quite smoothly. Press the attack Revli, do not forgive your opponent’s loss of focus.”  
  
  
After that Lord Vata lowered her lance, finally dropping her guard and signalling the end of the training session before playfully adding “And I know I said attack whenever you feel like it, but at least wait until I finish my sentence perhaps? The idea was to have normal education go on for a while and you’d choose when you wished to strike.” Lord Vata could then be seen to have a moment of realization as Revli began to pack up her gear. “On second thought, you’ve got a group session with Saav in a few days correct?” Revli nodded at the question. “Okay, I’m fairly sure she’s planning to try the same process we did today, make sure to go after her right as she mentions ‘begin whenever’ because I can guarantee she will not be expecting it and her face will be priceless.” Revli giggled at that and asked “Is that an order or a request my Lord?” “I’m not going to tell you that’s an order, but I _am_ going to tell you that I love seeing Saav flustered.” Revli decided she’d try the idea out, if only to brag to the others that she was the first to get a solid hit on one of the Lords during training.  
  
  
“Well either way, since we got the practical skills section done early, why don’t we get back to where I had originally planned to take this lesson?” Said Lord Vata, stowing her lance as she spoke.  
  
  
“Oh? You actually planned something out besides fighting this time?”  
  
  
“Very amusing sister, but yes.” Revli looked up from her pack where she was stowing her claw and other gear to see Lord Kestra approaching. Lord Vata continued after responding to her sister’s tease “I had planned to educate Revli here on the various different combat situations she might find herself in, not every foe out there fights like we do, in fact, most you’re likely to encounter distinctly  _don’t_  fight like we do.”  
  
  
“So what’s your plan then sister? It’s not like there’s any husks around anymore to fight, the little one’s probably fought more than a few shrumals out on patrol before, and I doubt the queen would take kindly to an ‘expedition’ into the deep.” Lord Vata almost seemed to have been waiting for the question, as she took on a confident and thoroughly pleased with herself expression.  
  
  
“Oh dear sister of mine, sometimes I wonder if you really actually are older than me.” Lord Vata taunted, absolutely dripping with smugness “You must open your mind, expand your horizons, think of places beyond our immediate borders.”  
  
  
“I’m not dignifying that with a response, especially with someone else being here.” Lord Kestra said, gesturing to Revli, who by this time had finished stowing her things and was standing ready by Lord Vata’s side. Kestra continued “you’ve obviously already got somewhere in mind, so instead of playing ‘what am I thinking of?’ Just tell me where.”  
  
  
“Kingdom’s edge!”  
  
  
It took all of Revli’s self control not to whip around to look at her trainer wide-eyed, thankfully Lord Kestra shared the sentiment.  
  
  
“Kingdom’s edge?! And precisely  _how_  do you plan to get there in a timely manner?! Because you are  **not**  going to use the little one as an excuse to shirk administrative responsibilities for days on end!” Lord Kestra said firmly.  
  
  
“Worry not sister," Lord Vata said matter-of-factly "I’ve already planned everything out, it’s only going to be a single day affair anyways, the day is still young and we’ll be taking a shortcut through the city to maximize actual training time.”  
  
  
\---  
  
  
“So if it’s not too much to ask my Lord, what  _is_  the plan once we get to Kingdom’s edge?”  
  
  
Revli and Lord Vata, true to her word, were presently on their way through the City of Tears to this “shortcut” Vata had mentioned during her conversation with Lord Kestra. “Well you see little one, I’ve been in contact with the colosseum's champion recently, and she happens to have a problem with a few uppity fools that need trimming down to size. Nothing all that pressing, nor anything she can't handle on her own, it's just that it sends a better message to them if they’re defeated by someone they believe to be a nobody.” “I assume that’s where I come in, my Lord?” “Precisely. Normally I wouldn’t divert an able bodied bug’s effort into dealing with another faction’s problems, but doing this favor just so happens to be precisely what you need to improve your combat experience.”  
  
  
Some time later, the two mantises reached the shortcut Lord Vata had been leading Revli to, interrupting Lord Vata’s (not entirely unwelcome) history lesson on the design of the mantis tribe’s claw weapons.  
  
  
“...ah, we’ve arrived.”  
  
  
“My lord, this is the elevator to the Resting Grounds, how is this a shortcut to Kingdom’s Edge?”  
  
  
“Oh contraire Revli, this  _is_  the right place, if you look up you’ll notice an overhang over here above us, it leads to a direct passage towards the colosseum. It’s also where the next gear inspection takes place!” At the mention of gear inspection Revli cursed internally, tomorrow was her usual weapon care day, so her claw was about as dull as it could be in any regular circumstances. “I hope you’ve been keeping your claw in good condition because the menderbugs don’t fool around with their masonry repairs! I’ll see you at the top!” With that Lord Vata vanished up the elevator shaft with speed Revli rarely saw ever used outside of visits (and subsequent sparring matches) from the Red Queen, reminding Revli yet again how glad she was that the Lords greatly held back during training bouts, she’d hate to have to go up against one of them if they got serious. But now wasn't the time to be lost in thought, Revli had an elevator shaft to climb, and based on her Lord's words it wouldn't be easy.  
  
  
Eventually pulling herself over the lip in the elevator shaft, Revli found herself out of breath but nowhere near exhausted, she’d had worse than this. “Wow, you really weren’t kidding my Lord, it took way more effort to get my claw to dig in than usual down there.” “And judging by how long you took, I’d hope you plan to get it sharpened soon, I’ve seen what you’re capable of Revli, I know you can climb this faster than that if you’d maintain your gear more often.” Revli only barely contained herself from showing visible shock, had Lord Vata been watching during her other training sessions with the other Lords and trainers? She got the feeling Lord Vata’s past comment about “wanting you to be my successor” wasn’t actually in jest like she had initially thought.  
  
  
After that it was more or less smooth sailing for the rest of the day. The belfly colony that Lord Vata mentioned used to be around the colosseum had been cleared out by the extermination parties a while ago, and as her Lord had expected, Revli was able to best the fools without any major injuries, though there was the expected learning curve of their unfamiliar fighting styles. Her performance even earned her a subtle thumbs up from her Lord who was watching from afar with the God Tamer during the match.  
  
  
After the full day training excursion with Lord Vata, Revli was thoroughly tired when she and Lord Vata returned to the village (much to the feigned surprise of Lord Kestra, who mockingly implied that the two had planned to run off to join the fools). And not having another patrol shift scheduled until later in the day tomorrow, Revli dragged herself home to rest.  
  
  
\---  
  
  
The following days passed without anything of note happening, but today was decidedly  _not_  like the others. Today was the group training session with Lord Saav, the eldest, and consequently most respected, of the Sisters of Battle. Things were progressing more or less as usual when one of the Lords hosted a training session, beginning with form warm-ups, before moving into some combat theory, with the practical application portion coming up in only a bit more time.  
  
  
Revli had been keeping her eyes on Lord Saav as often as was possible, keeping track of her movements and posture so she could figure out if going through with Lord Vata’s suggestion was a good idea or just a bait to get her to make Lord Saav fight seriously. “Alright, that’s enough for now young ones, we’re going to begin the practical skills section now.” Revli made the snap decision to go for it, after all, the worst outcome was that Lord Saav saw it coming, and it’s not like anyone  _expected her_ , or any of the others for that matter, to actually land a solid hit on Lord Saav, let alone best her in the training bout.  
  
  
As the mantises of varying age and skill gathered around Lord Saav, she elaborated. “This session will be a bit different from what you may be used to. I’ll be continuing form lessons during the practical session, but to practice seizing windows of opportunity, I ask that while I continue these lessons, come at me whenever you see fit-”  
  
  
As Lord Saav spoke, Revli had slowly crouched down in preparation to make her move, and no sooner had the eldest sister finished enunciating ”me” had Revli dashed forward with all her might. True to her reputation, Lord Saav was not caught completely unawares, as she brought her nail-lance up to absorb Revli’s overhead slash. Likewise, true to what Lord Vata had told her, she seemed extremely flustered by Revli’s immediate action and couldn’t properly deflect the blow, causing her lance to be knocked downward by the younger mantis’ opening strike.  
  
  
Revli pressed her advantage, hooking her claw around Lord Saav’s lance and heaving up and out. The Sister maintained her grip on the lance, not that Revli had planned to actually successfully disarm the Lord with that maneuver, all she needed was for the lance to be out of the way for her spinning follow up.  
  
  
Having practiced that particular trick extensively after it failed against Lord Vata days ago, Revli was faster this time, spinning closer to her body before extending her arm to actually reach her sparring partner, completing the spin, time seemed to freeze as Revli’s weapon completed its arc,  
  
  
and tore right across Lord Saav’s body.  
  
  
Every mantis present, the two fighters included, froze as Lord Saav recoiled, hissing in well-controlled pain. Whispers of disbelief began to rise as those assembled came to the realization that Revli had scored a large, undeniable, solid hit,  _on the eldest mantis lord_ , until someone (who Revli would later come to find out was Lord Vata, who had been watching from out of sight, and who also found her sister’s earlier reaction to being rushed  _"_ _positively hilarious"_ ) yelled out “A clean hit!”  
  
  
“Unfortunately, a single clean hit does not a victory make.”  
  
  
Revli only barely looked up from where she had been posed in place up until that point to see Lord Saav flash forward, shoulder checking Revli and sending her skidding backwards across the ground a fair distance, followed up  ** _very_** quickly by Lord Saav stepping on Revli’s neck, pinning her in place.  
  
  
“Well… done… little one.” Lord Saav said between soft pants, seemingly otherwise unbothered by the relatively large slash mark she had just received. Lord Saav then stepped off Revli before turning back to the other mantises she had been training as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.  
  
  
“Well, I believe that’s a good enough example of a seized window of opportunity. Someone get me a bandage wrap, bleeding is ever so inconvenient to train with.” More than a few mantises could be heard quickly scampering away to fulfill the request, Lord Saav’s intent to continue the training session made quite evident.  
  
  
“Now then, where were we?”

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to get some full-circle type symbolism going there, so good job if you noticed that! (hopefully it wasn't too obvious) No plans yet to bring back Revli for any other fic (though now re-reading everything I noticed all the loose ends I could go and tie up later), but pretty much everything I write is spur-of-the-moment inspiration anyways so who knows? Thanks for reading!


End file.
